Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Iqaluit, NU

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Iqaluit, NU

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rio de Janeiro and in Iqaluit, NU actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Iqaluit, NU $2,934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,585 in Iqaluit, NU.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Iqaluit, NU $4,585

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $6,236 in Iqaluit, NU.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Iqaluit, NU $6,236

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 56% less than in Iqaluit, NU, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 5% below, Iqaluit, NU is 117% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.8

$26.82 CA$38.12

-62.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$204

$63.4 CA$90.0

-36.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.16

$12.91 CA$18.35

-33.77%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.99

$7.02 CA$9.97

-66.10%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 R$8.14

$3.71 CA$5.27

-56.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.20

$1.62 CA$2.31

-36.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.49

$6.73 CA$9.56

-63.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.69

$5.45 CA$7.74

-32.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.03

$2.44 CA$3.47

-51.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.34

$2.55 CA$3.62

-19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.46

$3.18 CA$4.52

-59.75%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.55

$3.41 CA$4.85

-32.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.3

$9.71 CA$13.80

10.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.26

$13.07 CA$18.58

-66.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.65

$14.48 CA$20.58

-32.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.19

$3.70 CA$5.26

-24.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.99

$1.33 CA$1.90

33.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.10

$3.58 CA$5.08

-55.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.07

$3.80 CA$5.41

-52.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.14

$2.41 CA$3.42

-49.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.24

$2.16 CA$3.08

-51.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.90

$2.37 CA$3.37

-67.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.36

$1.58 CA$2.25

-57.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.21

$13.88 CA$19.72

-78.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.77

$12.82 CA$18.22

-36.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.00

$2.54 CA$3.62

-53.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.67

$3.00 CA$4.27

-16.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.98

$2.23 CA$3.17

-55.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$253

$61.5 CA$87.4

-18.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.17

$6.57 CA$9.33

-81.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.64

$1.38 CA$1.96

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.25

$20.20 CA$28.72

-55.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.55

$1.14 CA$1.62

14.04%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.9K R$120.5K

$38.0K CA$54.0K

-37.20%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.9K R$165.9K

$30.1K CA$42.8K

9.23%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$133 R$673

$114 CA$162

17.21%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.82 R$54.6

$38.71 CA$55.0

-72.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$53.6 CA$76.2

-57.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$155

$40.57 CA$57.7

-24.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$17.61 CA$25.03

80.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.65

$8.09 CA$11.50

-0.49%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$598 R$3,016

$755 CA$1,073

-20.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.7K

$13.1K CA$18.6K

2.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$212

$52.7 CA$74.9

-20.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$251

$38.18 CA$54.3

30.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$376

$85.7 CA$122

-12.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$347

$102 CA$145

-32.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,558

$1,751 CA$2,489

-48.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,672

$1,700 CA$2,417

-68.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,695

$2,877 CA$4,090

-53.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,814

$3,448 CA$4,900

-78.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

$4,252 CA$6,043

-5.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,875

$3,525 CA$5,010

-55.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,228

$4,135 CA$5,877

-84.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

5.32

124.25%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 58% 221% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Iqaluit, NU

$358 12.2% 67% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Iqaluit, NU

$206 7% 23.3% $39

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Iqaluit, NU

$403 13.8% 145% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Iqaluit, NU

$125 4.3% 18.7% $20

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Iqaluit, NU

$84 2.9% 40.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Iqaluit, NU

$57 1.9% 21% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 547% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $63.0 in Iqaluit, NU for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $358 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🕒 Local time

22:33 10:33 PM

21:33 9:33 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

8,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.198 USD

1 BRL = 0.177 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 5.05 BRL (1 BRL = 0.198 USD). 1 EUR = 5.65 BRL (1 BRL = 0.177 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Iqaluit, NU 9,890 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Iqaluit, NU

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rio de Janeiro vs Iqaluit, NU: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 128% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 547% lower in Iqaluit, NU. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $598 in Rio de Janeiro versus $755 in Iqaluit, NU. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Iqaluit, NU. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio de Janeiro is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Iqaluit, NU, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.